The Prostitute and the Punk: Set fire to the rain
by Kyahbell
Summary: There are moments in time when a person just knows that their day is going to be a train wreck on an otherwise relatively smooth journey across the tracks.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: and I'm back with a new story. Let's see how this goes. Remember: sadly they're not mine. Just the OC. Bold parts in quotation. are the song lyrics for Adele's "Set fire to the rain" - part of which I have changed slightly (see italics) for use in this story.**

**feedback is a wonderful thing!**

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><p><strong>The Prostitute and the Punk: Set Fire to the rain<strong>

**Chapter one.**

**"But there's a side to _me _****That _you _never knew, never knew.  
>The things <em>I'd<em> say  
>They were never true, never true,<br>And the games _we_ play  
><em>I <em>would always win, always win."**

There are moments in time when a person just _knows_ that their day is going to be a train wreck on an otherwise relatively smooth journey across the tracks. One clarifying moment in which the hot water runs out before you can rinse the shampoo from your hair or the heartbreaking realisation that you forgot to by coffee the day before and your house has inadvertently become a caffeine free zone, that indicates the following hours will be a write off. Those few seconds where you know, down to your core, that you should just crawl back into bed and hide from the world. Post a sign on the door with a hastily written apology and a "we'll try this again tomorrow". Everyone has them – and yet how many people trust this profound glimpse into the future and follow their instincts? And how many people scream from the frustration of being bitten in the ass by hindsight?

Faith, unfortunately, found herself in the latter category one spring evening after awaking to realise she was not only out of coffee and red bull, but that in the chaos that was occasionally her life, she had forgotten to purchase a new pair of black lace stockings – making her outfit choice for the evening completely useless. It was clearly a sign from God. Perhaps not a direct sign, Faith was almost certain she wasn't high on his priority list, but maybe from someone lower down on the payroll. Sadly she was so close to reaching her goal of having enough money to buy a car, she ignored her own instincts; a practice that, in her line of work, could get you in a world of trouble, or get you dead, and got ready for work.

It had shaped out to be a relatively easy night, with only one new client requesting her services. This was fine with Faith. The hotel he was staying in was one of the best in the area and during the phone call he had asked her if her schedule for the evening was free. That sounded promising.

After spending ten minutes grumbling at the fact that she had to go without coffee – a practice she loathed on a good day, let alone today when she was already exhausted – and had to choose a new outfit, Faith finally got changes. She dressed in a pair of form fitting white slacks and a silver halter top that at first glance seemed modest for the style but clung to every natural curve she had, ensuring a second glance from every guy who saw her and often enough, some of the women too. She had curled her black hair the night before, so it now fell down her back in little more than waves and she applied only enough make-up to highlight her features and add a little more definition to her dark green eyes. She looked casual but sexy – a look Faith found to both deceive the fact that she was a prostitute and earn her quite an amount of business.

Satisfied with her look, she added a pair of silver and white 'Crown' Jimmy Choo heels – a weakness even Faith could not deny – picked up her appropriately packed handbag and made her way out of her tiny apartment.

As she made her way to the cab she had booked earlier in the day, Faith took a moment to savour the fact that tonight could be the last night she would have to rely on cabs for her work. The thought caused a surge of pride to course through her as she secured herself in the back seat and gave the driver the name of the hotel. With the promise of an easy night and her savings goal fulfilled, Faith felt content and confident.

The hotel was enormous and as Faith gracefully stepped out of the cab and paid her fare, she tried not to be intimidated. She had seen wealthy clients before, some were even regulars, but she always felt less at ease with them.

She held her head high and glided into the lobby as though the building were her own. She had to dodge an overly raucous group of people congregating near the elevators, some of which were toting overly bright sings. Fans of some description, Faith surmised, wondering who could be staying at the hotel to cause to much excitement.

After negotiating her way around the group, Faith made it to the elevators. She slid in, choosing one of the top floors and was thankful when the doors closed promptly, drowning out the chatter. On the way up she double checked the room number of the client in her diary, did a once over of her appearance and carefully smoothed out her clothes, after which, she took a slow and steadying breath. A practice she had followed before she met every client.

She didn't like her job. Faith had no delusions – she was a cliché of bad mistakes and worse choices – but she had always been determined that whatever she did, she would do well, and this was no different. She had never expected to find herself in these circumstances, and she was driven to make sure that this would not be her future, but she had always been the kind of girl determined to succeed, regardless of what she was doing.

The sound of the elevator bell alerted Faith that she had arrived at her destination. Stepping quickly out of the doors, it took her mere moments to find her way to the right room. She stood outside for a moment, collecting her thoughts and trying to get herself to focus on the task at hand. It was here, at the door, that she checked out and the role she played took over. For Faith, it was the only way she could get through it, and sometimes even that just barely got her through. With another steadying breath, she knocked on the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Punk had been quietly working through another sleepless night alone in his hotel room. The television was quietly showing an old B grade horror movie and he lay casually across the plush king size bed reading one of the few books he always carried with him when he toured.

When the confident knock sounded on the door he was slightly surprised and more than a little annoyed. Just because he hardly slept didn't mean he didn't enjoy the little solitude it afforded him.

With a low grunt he forced himself off the bed and moved to the door. His mind was already formulating a rude response for who ever was standing on the other side, however, when he threw open the door the response died before it ever got out of his mouth.

The woman standing in front of him was beautiful, and also looking at him with a very confused expression, telling him that she hadn't expected him to answer the door.

"Can I help you?" Punk asked casually, leaning against the door frame. The woman glanced down at his bare chest, then back up to him,

"I'm sorry, I have the wrong room. I'm so sorry to have disturbed you so late" She told him softly, beginning to back away from him.

Punk smiled warmly at her, "Don't worry about it. It was a welcome distraction" he told her, she glanced back at him as she continued down the hallway and he gave her a wink, earning him a stunning smile in response.

"I think I'll have to stay in this hotel the next time I'm here" Punk muttered to himself, closing the door.

Faith stopped a little way down the hallway, completely embarrassed and more than a little pissed that she had gotten the wrong room. Not only that, she had easily recognised the man that had opened the door to her. CM Punk. WWE wrestler, gorgeous, straight-edge and one of her favourites. She allowed herself a small fan-girl moment as she grinned like an idiot and jumped up and down. She had always loved wrestling. Sighing, Faith came back to reality, took her diary out of her bag and found the hotel room number under the booking. She had gotten the numbers around the wrong way. Yet another sign that this day was not meant to run smoothly. Stuffing the diary back into her bag as she walked, Faith quickly found the right hotel room and once again knocked confidently on the door as she thought that the WWE must be here for a show, and whether or not she had missed it.

The door opened and her client stood before her, standing intimidatingly in the doorway, looking down at her with some difficulty.

Faith recognised him as well. Wade Barrett. WWE wrestler, striking resemblance to Quasimodo, and a complete heel. He was also drunk. Faith shook her head slightly at her amazing bad luck, but forced a smile onto her face.

"Wade, I'm Candy, your company for this evening" Faith introduced herself, giving him a flirtatious wink.

"Come in" Wade said gruffly, barely moving to the side to allow Faith past. Faith forced another smile on her face as she slid past him, trying not to flinch as her body brushed against him.

Wade shut the door behind her and followed her into the room. He stood a little way off and studied her, his eyes roaming over her body. Faith was used to this. She waited patiently for a moment.

"So," she started, sitting casually on the bed.

"Get undressed" Wade ordered. Faith raised an eyebrow at his demand, but didn't move to do it.

"There are ground rules Wade. First, you have to take a shower. Secondly, you have to pay up front. Three hundred dollars an hour. An extra One hundred for every half an hour after that." Faith told him.

Wade raised an eyebrow before actually laughing at her standard protocol. "I'm not going to have a shower. And Three hundred dollars? You're cute, but not that damn cute. Get undressed, and after I'm done I'll give you one hundred dollars. End of discussion"

Faith smiled at him politely. This was not the first time she had had problems with clients, no matter how many times she went over the subject of payment over the phone before she made the booking. The fact that Wade was drunk and conceited just made things more difficult.

"If that's how you feel, I respect that, but I will be unable to keep this booking. I made the terms very clear over the phone, and if you are unhappy with them now, I suggest you call another escort" Faith was calm as she stood up from the bed and started for the door. Wade however was not.

He grabbed her roughly as she passed him and dragged her to stand before him. "You are not an escort, you're a whore, and you'll do what I damn tell you to. Don't you know who I am?" Wade hissed.

Faith almost laughed despite the dangerous situation she was in. How typical. "Yes, I know who you are, but that does not change the fact that this is not how I work. I suggest you let me go and find another girl that meets your needs. Given your status, I doubt you would want this to become an issue"

Wade sneered, "If you think anyone will believe you over me, you have seriously misunderstood your significance in society" He increased the pressure of his hold on her and slapped her across the face. Faith bit her lip to keep from crying out.

"Now, we're going to business my way, and you're going to keep your mouth shut" Wade told her as he dragged her back to the bed. He threw her down roughly and forced himself on top of her. He let out a satisfied laugh as Faith turned her face away from him, and leant forward, his hands moving over her body to the hem of her shirt to rip it of her. With one swift move, Faith managed to lift her leg, kneeing him in the groin and successfully pushing him off her.

Faith knew better than to stick around to see how much damage she had inflicted. Grabbing her bag she dashed for the door, barely hesitating to open it, running into the hallway. She glanced around her and saw a flight of stairs a little further back down the hall where she had originally come from. She made her way to them and collapsed a few stairs down.

She leant her head back against the wall and tried, unsuccessfully to stop the tears from falling down her cheeks. This was not the first time a client had tried something, however, she was rarely insulted like that and what was worse, her hopes of reaching her goal and having an easy night were ruined. If she had just paid attention to her instincts this wouldn't have happened. She wouldn't be crying in a hotel stairwell and she wouldn't be in any pain. She gingerly touched her cheek and winced at the pain. This night had gone to hell.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: thanks to : McPunkloven, xPunkifiedx, LeylaChaz and of course the AWESOME island Queen ;) for the wonderfully reviews. I love them! they make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and cause me to... write more chapters. So here it is :D**

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><p>"<em><strong>I let it fall, my heart<strong>_

_**And as it fell, you rose to claim it"**_

As midnight rolled around, Punk gave up any serious hope of getting some decent sleep. His only saviour was his flight the next day was scheduled for late morning- something he was extremely thankful for.

Throwing his book beside him, Punk played with the idea of heading down to the hotel gym. He was unsure if it was open, but the trip down to see would at least get him out of his room, regardless of the outcome.

Letting out a sigh, Punk dragged himself off the bed and rummaged through his suitcase for a clean shirt. After pulling it over his head and slipping into his shoes, Punk grabbed his room key from the table and slipped out the door.

He didn't even notice anyone on the stairs as he quickly approached them. On the fifth step down however, he heard a faint sniff that caused him to turn around.

The young woman who had knocked on his door earlier was curled up on the stairs above him. He could easily see she had been crying and her right cheek was bright red and bruising slightly. Punk was no idiot. Someone had hit her. Hard. The thought made him tense with anger even though he didn't know her. People who did that to women made him sick.

Punk took the two steps up to her level and knelt before her. He said nothing for a time, unsure of how to proceed. Damsels in distress were not his forte. His tendency to say whatever entered his head tended to offend rather than comfort, and he really didn't want to offend her.

"We meet again" Punk finally commented, sending her a friendly smile. She looked up at him and through her tears, gave him a brilliant smile. A smile that affected him more than it should.

"Fancy seeing you here" she returned. Punk laughed softly and made himself comfortable, sitting on the stair below her.

"You okay?" Punk thought the question was rather ridiculous. Obviously she wasn't okay, but he couldn't think of anything else to say.

She smiled at him again and tried to brush the tears from her eyes. "Just one of those days" she told him. Punk nodded thoughtfully.

"I'm Phil" he finally continued, extending his hand to her.

"I know who you are Punk," she replied, placing her small hand in his and shaking it firmly, "I'm Faith"

"You want to talk about it Faith?" he asked. Faith shook her head.

"It's not really important. I just made a mistake. I'm just getting myself together before I call a cab" she explained.

Punk said nothing. He took in her appearance – her tear stained face and bruised cheek, the soft shudder of her slim frame as she tried to control the sobs threatening to escape – and suddenly didn't want to let her go out alone so late in the night.

"I don't think you should be heading out in the middle of the night" he told her. It sounded strange, even to him – a man she didn't know telling her about the dangers of going out alone in the middle of the night.

"I don't really have any other option Phil." She told him. Punk thought about it for a moment, and before he could talk himself out of it, gave her a second option.

"You can come and hang out with me. I don't sleep much, so you won't be disturbing me at all. We can call you a cab in the morning"

Faith stared at him in disbelief. He couldn't blame her. It was definitely unorthodox, even for him.

"I can't do that Phil. Thank you, but I can't"

"Why not?" He asked, and then smiled. He reached up and brushed the tears off her cheek as gently as he could "If you promise you won't be a crazy fan who's going to steal my underwear, I promise I won't be a psycho killer…and I promise I won't hurt you like the guy you came here to see"

His gentle teasing earned a laugh from her and it made Phil grin, as though he had accomplished some great challenge.

"Alright, it's a deal. Thank you" she finally agreed. Phil nodded once before getting to his feet and offering his hand to Faith, who took it gratefully. He pulled her to stand beside him, and then led her back up the stairs to his room.

Faith stood nervously just inside the room and watched as Punk made an effort to tidy up his belongings, trying to contain them in an overly stuffed suitcase. Considering her profession, she didn't see why she should feel nervous. She guessed it was because he had met her, Faith, and not Candy the escort she usually presented herself as to most men.

Finally Punk finished rearranging his things and straightened to look over at Faith, a grin forming on his features and seeping into his eyes, causing Faith to smile back at him.

"You can make yourself comfortable." he told her, gesturing to the room. Faith nodded and moved through the spacious room to sit at the end of the bed. Punk followed her lead, propping himself up on the pillows and kicking off his shoes before stretching out.

"So Faith, what would you like to do? Are you tired?"

Faith shook her head. She didn't think she could sleep even if she wanted to. The incident with Wade aside, she was sitting on a bed with CM Punk, and although she could refrain from turning into a squealing mess of excitement, she was still awe struck at the idea of being in his hotel room.

"well, I was watching movies before I ran into you. What do you like?"

"Oh, anything generally. I really like horrors though, especially the classics" Faith returned.

Punk stared at her in amazement from his place at the head of the bed.

"What? You're not going to give me crap are you?" Faith demanded, smiling a little to show she was kidding.

"No, but I'm sure glad I invited you in. Press play on the remote, I don't think you'll be disappointed" he told her. Faith did as she was asked and laughed at the tell tale creepy music that accompanied the opening credits of the movie. She hadn't seen the movie before, which was a bonus.

The movie had been running for five minutes before Faith heard a soft tapping coming from behind her. She turned to see Punk watching her, another smile on his face as his hand tapped the empty space beside him further up on the bed. Faith flashed him a shy smile before kicking off her own shoes and moving up to sit neatly beside him. Punk stared at her for a moment before shaking his head.

"You cannot be comfortable like that" he scoffed.

Faith looked down at her less that comfortable outfit and laughed. He had a point. When she had left her apartment, she dressed to entertain a client, not hang out and watch horror movies with a wrestling superstar.

"Okay, you have a point" Faith conceded.

"Here" Punk reached down to his bag on the floor and pulled out one of his shirts, tossing it onto her lap. Faith raised an eyebrow.

"Who knew CM Punk was so cliché?"

"You're funny. Go get changed, you'll be comfortable" he told her, nodding towards the bathroom.

Faith stood from the bed and did as he suggested. While she was in the bathroom she did a quick inventory of her appearance. Most of her makeup had been washed away and the bruise on her cheek had become impossible to miss. Not her best look. She quickly washed her face, wincing as she made contact with her injury. After changing into Phil's oversized shirt, she dragged her fingers through her hair in an attempt to neaten her long locks, then made her way out of the bathroom.

Punk glanced at her as she re entered the room.

"Now try and tell me that's not better" he challenged her, the trademark grin she always found endearing when she watched Raw, appearing on his face.

Faith snorted, "yes, the great Phil Brooks is always right" she retorted.

"How long have you been watching wrestling?" He asked as Faith joined him back on the bed.

"What makes you think I'm such a big wrestling fan?"

"You knew who I was when and you know my full name" Faith rolled her eyes at his perceptiveness.

"Watched it since I was a kid. I don't get to see it as often now, but I'm still a fan" Faith told him. Her gaze drifted back to the television and she shuffled down to lay on her side. She heard Punk move to his side behind her.

"And who's your favourite wrestler?" he asked.

"That is so typical. I'm not going to tell you. Watch the movie" Faith told him, trying her hardest to sound stern. Punk just laughed at her.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'd like to thank SkylarNoelleLoveLace, Pitbull princess, Quidditchandsonicscrewdrivers and Harvester0fSorrow for adding this story to their Favourites list. :) I'm flattered. Also, thanks to Hotpocketbandit for adding my story to their alert subscriptions. A big thanks to xPunkifiedx for continuing to review and many many thanks to Violentkissess for reviewing and favouriting AND adding it to their alert subscriptions. You all rock!**

**So here is chapter four! Nothing exciting, I fear, but I'm starting on chapter 5 now to make up for it. I promise!**

**Continue to review and love it - it makes me feel loved! :)**

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><p>When Punk awoke the next morning, the first thing he noticed was he actually felt refreshed. Which meant that he had actually slept. The second thing he noticed was that Faith was gone. As he stretched out on the bed, his arm moved across the empty space where Faith had been curled up asleep beside him.<p>

Punk frowned as he lay still, staring up at the ceiling. He was pretty sure his arms had found their way around her during the night and now that it was morning and she was gone, he was disappointed... he was in so much shit. And he had no way to contact her.

Eventually he dragged himself out of bed and headed towards the bathroom to shower and get ready for his flight. As he moved past the table, his eyes fell on a small folded piece of paper that he knew he hadn't placed there. Picking it up, his eyes scanned it quickly and a smile grew on his face.

"_Punk,_

_Thanks so much for last night._

_You really helped and I won't forget it._

_Good luck in your match tonight. - Kill it!_

_-Faith x"_

His eyes checked over the paper front and back for a contact number, but found nothing. Rolling his eyes at his own bad luck, he continued with his mission of getting reading and making it to the airport in time for his flight.

His bags were packed, he was ahead of schedule and Punk was doing a final check of the room before he headed out. As he searched for anything he may have left behind, his eyes found a card lying on the floor near the bedside table. He picked it up, assuming it was his room key and was surprised to see it was a business card. On the front in simple script was _C. Mitchell: Consultant_ with a mobile number underneath. Punk flipped it over to see a message quickly scribbled on the back.

"_Faith, using your 'business card'_

_for this so you don't lose it!_

_Call me bitch!_

_009678964. B xx"_

Punk stared at it in disbelief, so much for his bad luck. He quickly tucked the card into his back pocket before grabbing his bags and leaving the hotel room.

Faith awoke in the late afternoon curled up on her own bed. Her first thought went back to that morning when she awoke in a hotel bed. Punk's hotel bed. His arm had been casually resting on her waist, and he had been sound asleep. Faith thought he looked adorable. Then she thought of how much trouble she could get in if she stayed and continued to think about how adorable he was. It was the last thing she needed, and she was in a cab on the way home less than ten minutes later.

Now she was kind of sad she hadn't left her number. He may not want to call her, but she knew she wouldn't be seeing him again, and she couldn't forget how nice he had been to a total stranger for no other reason than that she needed it.

Having decided not to take any clients that evening after the disaster that was last night, Faith moved into her tiny lounge room and booted up her ancient laptop. She had been considering going to college and attempting some qualifications for administration work, and felt inspired to look further into it. She didn't want to be an escort for the rest of her life, and last night seemed give her more motivation.

She had just opened the community college website and begun to look at distance education courses, when her work mobile rang.

"Hey there, this is Candy" she purred into the mouthpiece, her eyes still focused on the screen.

"Oh. I'm sorry, guess I have the wrong number. I was looking for Faith" the man on the other end said. He sounded more than a little surprised, which made Faith forget the computer for a moment. His voice was familiar. Faith thought for a second before her mind clicked on the memory.

"This is Faith," she quickly covered, the colour draining from her face at the near miss of her occupation coming out in the open. "sorry, I was expecting a friend to call. Private joke. Can I help you" she held her breath.

"Nice work Faith, I didn't recognise you at all. This is Phil...Phil Brooks"

"Hey Punk. How did you get this number?" Faith asked, her curiosity taking over. She heard Phil laugh on the other end.

"Quite by accident. One of your business cards ended up on my hotel room floor."

"Oh"

"So, I, ah, hope you don't mind that I called" he continued. Faith couldn't help but smile. She also couldn't ignore the little jump in her heart despite her reservations.

"Of course not. What can I do for you?"

"You kind of rushed out of the hotel early this morning," Punk explained, "I didn't get a chance to talk to you before I left. I was hoping that maybe you'd let me take you out"

Faith took in a deep breath. Her mind instantly started screaming at her to say no. She couldn't go on a date with the self proclaimed straight edge superstar. She was an escort. Everything that she was went completely against everything that he was and stood for. Her heart, however, was demanding that she say yes. He was sweet and funny, not to mention sexy as hell and she hadn't been on a real date since she started selling herself to make ends meet.

"How can you take me out when you're not even here?" She asked the obvious question in lieu of giving him an answer.

"Ah, you doubt my abilities?" Punk asked. Faith laughed.

"I'll be flying back in the day after tomorrow. Does that work for you?"

"I'd like that" Faith agreed, burrowing her doubts to the back of her mind.

"Great. Can I call you tomorrow with the details?"

"Sure, but let me give you my mobile number, save you from calling my work phone"

"Oh I don't know about that, that Candy chick sounded pretty hot" Punk teased. Faith shook her head, ignoring the persistent fears pressing against her resolve.

"I'll tell you what, if our date is a failure, I'll give her your number," she promised before reciting her private phone number for him to write down.

"Alright Faith, my flight is about to board. I'll call you tomorrow?"

"Talk to you then" she agreed before ending the call.

Faith sat still on the couch for a long moment, a little stunned at what had just occurred. She was going on a date with CM Punk, the WWE superstar. She was going on a date with Phil Brooks, the sweet man who had taken time out of his day to make her feel better without prying into specifics. She grinned. She wasn't sure if it would work out, but if she kept her career completely out of the picture, then maybe, just maybe something good might happen to her for once. Shaking the happy, giddy feeling that was fogging her brain away, she went back to looking up courses online. If ever there was a time to make a drastic change in her life, it was now.

Punk was smiling as he stowed his mobile away in his pocket, and it did not go unnoticed by John Cena, who was catching the same flight out. In fact, the smile was so obvious, and so out of place, John felt it was his duty to comment on it.

"You know man, I almost forgot that you knew how to smile like that"

Punk frowned, "excuse me? I smile all the damn time"

"Not like that you don't. That, my friend, is the smile of a man who was just talking to a girl. Not just any girl, but a girl who has peaked his interest."

"You're full of shit. You're aware of that right?"

"I've been told. Who is she?" John demanded.

"She is none of your business. Stop pestering me like a little bitch" Punk warned good naturedly.

"Did she agree to go on a date with your sorry ass?" John continued, refusing to let the subject drop until he got more information.

"Yes, she did in fact. Now will you shut up? They've started boarding and I've got to think"

"You have no idea where you're going to take her do you?"

"No. I don't, but I will"

"Man, you have been out of the game a long time! Good luck with that" John laughed as he took his ticket from the attendant and walked through the gates.

Punk rolled his eyes. He may have been out of the game for a time, and he may not know where he was going to take Faith, but he couldn't deny he was happy that she agreed to go out with him.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N - Sorry this has taken longer than the previous chapters. For those who read my stories, you'll know I got distracted by my oneshot 'Love the way you lie' - shameless plug. **

**But I'm back with a new chapter! Thanks to xPunkifiedx and KatieWoo for the reviews and tly0227 and EmilieCW-DXfan0119 for adding this to their alert subscriptions. ALWAYS appreciated.**

**... on a side note, please be patient with me, I'm not sure how this story is going to turn out... and by that, I mean, I know the ending... but I have no idea how I'm getting there!**

**As always reviews are loved and cherished! advice and comments are brilliant!**

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><p><em><strong>It was dark, and I was over<strong>_

_**Until you kissed my lips and you saved me...**_

Faith was standing in her bedroom stuck somewhere between frustration and an anxiety attack. Her eyes constantly flicked from the old clock radio on her bedside table and the mess that was the entire contents of her wardrobe, on the floor.

Punk had called her yesterday evening to give her the details of their date. The very few details he chose to divulge anyway. He had sounded so heartbreakingly excited over the phone, Faith had completely forgotten to argue the sheer impracticality of not telling a girl where they were going.

So she stood, in front of a mountain of clothes with a half an hour to get ready, armed with nothing other than his direction to 'dress casual' and a not so comforting 'you're going to love it'

Finally, she decided on a snug yet comfortable pair of jeans, a casual black strapless top and a wide white belt. Brushing aside her worries that is was not casual enough, Faith was almost halfway under her bed in search of her white sandals when the doorbell rang.

"Fuck!" Faith exclaimed. She hadn't done her hair and Punk was early.

She rushed from the bedroom, completely abandoning the shoe hunt, and flung open the door.

Before she could scold him for being early, Punk grinned at her. "Did I just hear you say fuck?"

Faith felt herself blush slightly. He was not supposed to hear it.

"I was under my bed looking for shoes. You're early – and you were definitely not meant to hear that" she told him.

Punk just laughed, "I knew I like you" he told her as Faith moved to the side to let him in to her apartment.

Punk turned to look at her, noticing her hair was out and tousled. "Leave your hair – you look beautiful," he told her, then ducked his head into her room to survey the chaos. "and I'll give you five minutes to look for your shoes. Then I'm heading up a search party and coming in after you"

Faith grinned at him, feeling her heart flutter at the compliment, before coming to her sense and rushing off to hunt down her shoes.

"And here we are" Punk exclaimed as he led Faith down the steps and through the large and boisterous crowd. Faith eyes to cool, sleep ice rink below them doubtfully.

"I have never been to an ice hockey game" she confessed as Punk guided her to their seats, his hand resting on the small of her back.

"That's okay. I'll educate you. Besides, we're coming in during the last period. The hockey game isn't the whole date" Punk told her.

"I'll take your word for it," Faith laughed, looking back on to the ice and watching the chaos. "Alright. Teach me"

The next thirty minutes were spent by Punk trying to teach Faith about the game of hockey and Faith not understanding any of it. But the excitement of the crowd and intensity on the ice made the whole experience enjoyable and Faith was glad Punk had brought her.

"That was so much fun" Faith told him as she followed him through the mass of people who were headed towards the exit.

"You had no idea what was happening" Punk laughed.

Faith grinned, "we no. But I still enjoyed it"

"Well it's not over yet" Punk reminded her. He took a hold of her hand and led her over to one of the exits.

"Wait here for me and I'll be back in a few minutes okay?"

Faith nodded and watched as Punk weaved back through the crowd.

Faith had been standing alone for less than five minutes before someone came to stand in front of her.

"I thought it was you. Come to see me play?" a deep voice sneered.

Faith looked up to see a tall man she didn't recognise leering down at her. He obviously knew who she was though, and her heart sank. Things had been going so well with Punk, but it was becoming increasingly obvious that her job was going to bite her in the ass in the end, and Punk would never want to see her again. It was about to be over before it really began.

"No, I'm sorry. A friend brought me" Faith replied politely, praying that would be the end of it.

"Well, wasn't that lucky for both of us then," the man continued, moving forward to lean against the wall Faith was standing in front of, effectively trapping her. "You were very impressive last time. Now I can have a repeat performance, and you can put a famous hockey player back on your client list"

Faith stopped herself from rolling her eyes at his arrogance. No doubt, he truly believed she remembered him, which was a joke. With the exception of a few sweet and gentle regulars, she blocked all her clients from her mind. It was a survival mechanism.

"I'm sorry, I'm not working tonight. Perhaps another time" Faith fought to keep her tone polite.

"Not good enough sweetheart. You charge good money. I'm willing to give it to you. Now. I want to celebrate our win" he insisted.

"I'm sorry, it's just not possible. You will have to call at another time for an appointment" Faith repeated.

"You don't get it sweetheart," he man growled, roughly running his fingers through her hair, causing her to jerk back and hit her head on the wall, "I'm insisting"

"No!" Faith told him loudly and firmly.

"What's going on?" a voice behind them asked. The hockey player pushed off the wall and turned to reveal Punk standing there, two pairs of skates in hand and an annoyed look on his face. Faith was torn between a rush of relief at seeing him and utter despair because now her secret was out.

"Brooks, man! Didn't know you were catching the game" the man moved forward to share a handshake and a pat on the shoulder with Punk.

"I had some time off" Punk shrugged, his expression still serious. "everything okay here?" he asked, his eyes not leaving Faith.

"Sure sure. Just trying to get a date" the guy said with a wink, as though indicating an inside joke.

Punk didn't seem to find it amusing. He moved forward to stand slightly in front of Faith.

"Man, you're going to have much better luck with a lady who isn't here with someone else" Punk told him pointedly.

The man's eyes widened considerably and Faith blushed at how it must look. The Straight Edge Saviour at a hockey game with a prostitute. Had she just ruined his reputation?

"hey sorry dude, didn't realise you were seeing anyone" the guy raised his hands in surrender and Punk smirked.

"I don't usually make a public announcement every time I take a friend to a hockey game. I'll see you around alright?" It was clearly a dismissal.

"yeah, sure. We'll catch up" the guy gave a quick wave before retreating into the thinning crowd.

"You okay?" Punk asked, turning to Faith and tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

Faith looked up into his green eyes and forced a smile, "Sure. Just a misunderstanding"

"Don't know how anyone could misunderstand a straight out no" Punk commented. His tone was casual, but his eyes were still hard and angry.

"It's okay. He was a bit intimidating, but I'll survive." she told him.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here to stop it from happening at all." He told her.

Faith just shrugged. Her secret was safe and now that Punk was with her, so was she. She didn't want to talk about it. Her heart was still thumping wildly from the incident and she was trying not to think about how bad it could have turned out

"It's not a big deal Punk, but your timing is impeccable" Faith assured.

Punk stood still in front of her for a moment, looking down at her and trying to decide if she was really okay. When Faith looked up, Punk sent her a small, almost shy smile and ducked his head to brush his lips against hers. Faith could almost feel her heart stop. It was a sweet and simple kiss, but Faith was more than aware that it caused feelings she hadn't felt in a long time. So long she had almost forgotten the pleasure and happiness a welcomed first kiss could evoke.

When Punk straightened again, Faith gave him a brilliant smile, before changing the topic quickly.

"So what are these for?" she asked, pointing at the skates in his hand.

The serious and concerned look vanished from Punk's face as he grinned down at her, and wrapped his free arm around her shoulder.

"These, my beautiful Faith, are for us. We're going skating" he told her, as he began to lead her back down the steps towards the ice.

"Some how I don't think this rink is for public use" Faith commented.

"Well, no. But there are some perks to being a professional wrestler." he winked.

Faith grinned, "Well I'm in. But you should probably know, I've never ice skated before either"

Punk closed his eyes and groaned, clearly teasing her. "Well let's hope, for both our sakes, that you pick up ice skating better than you picked up ice hockey."

Faith swatted his shoulder good naturedly. "Have you considered that it might be your bad teaching skills?"

Punk raised an eyebrow "Never. Now let's go angel"


End file.
